April 06, 2004
The power of databases
- Reason, a libertarian magazine, decides to show what databases can do by individualzing each cover for subscribers with a satellite photo of their house. (NY Times link) via kottke.org
-
1) Wow. 2) The article in question, about the benefits of databases, doesn't exactly sit easily with the picture of the persons home and the headline "
, They know where you are!" 3) "What if you received a magazine that only had stories and ads that you were interested in and pertained to you?" he asked. "That would be a magazine that everyone would want to read." Whilst this is, in theory, an interesting idea, it has a number of disadvantages. "Hey, Bob, you got the new issue of Reason?" "Yeah." "Have you checked out the article on immigration? Page forty seven?" "Uh... All I've got is a recipe for chicken casserole. Obviously I'm not interested in immigration." Still, this kind of idea, with a less heavy-handed application, could have some interesting implications. -
Blaise, I was wondering about that myself. Take amazon.com and Tivo for example--just imagining a magazine that would cater to the interests they think I have makes me shudder uncontrollably.
-
What if you received a magazine that only had stories and ads that you were interested in and pertained to you... Heh...it's called my Blogroll (or, alternately, my Bookmarks/Favorites).